ELKINS — With support from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Mon Forest Towns Partnership has launched its new website at monforesttowns.org, built around the essential connection between its twelve small towns and the massive Monongahela National Forest region’s recreation amenities.

The new site offers information about trails, natural areas, and recreation sites throughout the Allegheny Highlands, along with practical planning resources for visitors. Users can explore individual town profiles, learn about each community’s history, and access itineraries tailored to different recreational interests and skill levels, from easy interpretive trails to rugged backcountry hikes.

“This website serves as a central resource for anyone looking to explore all the million-acre Mon Forest region has to offer,” remarked Sam Kniery, the Partnership’s Outreach Manager. “It connects our twelve towns — Elkins, Thomas, Davis, Parsons, Seneca Rocks, Franklin, Petersburg, Durbin, Marlinton, Richwood, Cowen, and White Sulphur Springs — through their shared access to world-class outdoor recreation.”

The Mon Forest Towns Partnership, guided by community representatives and working groups in each of its member towns, strives to build economic resilience in these communities through sustainable, recreation-based development. In collaboration with Woodlands Development & Lending, the organization also seeks to support local businesses through its Mon Forest Business Initiative and to advance active land stewardship with the US Forest Service. In 2026, the Partnership will continue to connect new audiences with the forest by developing a regional visitors’ guide in partnership with 8 CVBs and by participating in West Virginia Tourism’s cooperative advertising program.

For more information, visit monforesttowns.org or contact info@monforesttowns.org.